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MammalsRe-introduction of the Iberian lynx, Andalusia,SpainMiguel A. Simón 1 , Rafael Arenas-Rojas 2 , Javier Rodriguez-Siles 2 , Maribel García-Tardío 2 , Joaquín Perez-Marin 2 , José M. Gil-Sánchez 2 & Guillermo Lopez 21 - Junta de Andalucía. C/ Manuel Siurot 50, 41071, Seville, Spainmiguelangel.simon@juntadeandalucia.es2 - Agencia de Medio Ambiente y Agua de Andalucía. C/ Johan Gutenberg s/n,41092, Seville, SpainIntroductionThe Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) is an endemic felid of the Iberian Peninsula.Once widespread across the Iberian territory, only about 100 Iberian individualswere found to occur in 2002 into two isolated populations in Andalusia (SouthernSpain): Andújar-Cardeña and Doñana (Guzmán et al., 2004). Given this criticalsituation, the Iberian lynx was the only felid species catalogued by IUCN as“Critically Endangered” in 2003 (IUCN 2003). Starting in 2002, three consecutiveEU-funded Life conservation projects (summarizing 14 years) are beingdeveloped by the Andalusian Regional Government of Environment in order tostop the decline of the population and restore extinct populations through reintroduction(Simón et al., 2012).Moreover, a captive-breedingprogram was initiated in 2004 withthe main goal of providingindividuals to be released in reintroductionprograms (Vargas etal., 2008). The first re-introductionprogram began in 2006 with theselection of optimal areas for reintroduction.Two areas close toAndújar-Cardeña nucleus wereselected for re-introduction:Guadalmellato and Guarrizas.Releases began in 2009.Currently, 34 individuals have beenre-introduced in the wild.Demographic parameters of bothre-introduced populations show apositive evolution, and the totalwild Iberian lynx population in 2012was estimated to be 320individuals.Iberian lynx © Manuel MoralGoals Goal 1: Decrease Iberian lynxextinction risk through the creation120